The CSU Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved the naming of the Rosie Casals and Pancho Gonzalez Tennis Center that will be constructed at Cal State LA.
President William A. Covino, tennis legend and Cal State LA alumna Billie Jean King, and former professional tennis great Rosie Casals were on hand for the approval, which came during the board’s monthly meeting in Long Beach.
Casals learned the game on public courts in San Francisco and played in a total of 685 singles and doubles tournaments in her career. She partnered with King to form the top women’s doubles team from 1967 through 1974. Casals won seven Wimbledon titles and twelve Grand Slam titles in the same period.
Pancho Gonzalez played tennis on public courts at Exposition Park. At age 20, he won the 1948 United States singles title and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1968 at the age of 40. He was the first player to be inducted while still an active player.
The proposed Rosie Casals and Pancho Gonzalez Tennis Center will include a new building adjacent to the existing tennis courts in the Billie Jean King Sports Complex.
“The naming of the Rosie Casals and Pancho Gonzalez Tennis Center in the Billie Jean King Sports Complex not only pays tribute to three outstanding individuals, it represents a collective commitment to work on behalf of our students and our community,” President Covino told the trustees.
King’s association with Cal State LA began nearly five decades ago, when she was a student taking classes and playing on the tennis team from 1961 to 1964. She is still involved with the University today, donating her time to help stage an annual fundraising gala that has raised millions of dollars for Cal State LA student athletes.
At Wednesday’s meeting, King thanked the trustees for approving the naming of the tennis center, noting that it was a fitting tribute to two of the game’s pioneers.
“Naming the tennis center after Rosie Casals and Pancho Gonzalez honors and highlights their roles in tennis history,” King said. “Their stories will resonate with many and serve to motivate and encourage students to achieve excellence.”
Photo: From left to right: Chancellor Timothy P. White, Rosie Casals, Board of Trustees Chair Lou Monville, President William A. Covino and Billie J. King. (Credit: J. Emilio Flores/Cal State)
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Cal State LA is a university dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 27,000 students and 240,000 distinguished alumni, who are as diverse as the city we serve. Located in the heart of Los Angeles, Cal State LA has long been recognized as an engine of economic and social mobility. Led by an award-winning faculty, the University offers nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and the humanities.
Cal State LA is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center, Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, Billie Jean King Sports Complex, TV, Film and Media Center and the Center for Engagement, Service, and the Public Good. For more information, visit CalStateLA.edu
11/18/15